Is This Too Much To Ask From A Nanny For $25 An Hour?

Real Estate & Finance

Posted on January 04, 2018

A job posting has been spotted on a Woolworths community message board in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Balmain advertising a part-time nanny position. However, it’s managed to raise a lot of eyebrows due to the extensive list of duties for a relatively low pay.

Some of the duties the successful candidate would have to do include school pick-ups, assisting two children with their homework, making dinner and lunches for the kids, walking the dog, and some light housework, “such as folding washing.”

The advert states that the, “Hours will be 2:45-6:15pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,” and that they’re seeking, “an after-school caregiver for 14 hours per week ($25 per hour),” which brings the total weekly pay to $350.

Underneath the typed advertisement, someone left a handwritten message that reads, “Don’t want much for $25/hr do you?”.

The full advert reads:

WANTED: BALMAIN AFTER SCHOOL NANNY - ($350 PER WEEK)

We’re a Balmain family looking for an after school caregiver for 14 hours per week ($25 per hour) starting early 2018.

Hours will be 2.4506.15pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and you will be caring for our two children aged 8 and 4.

The role involves school pick-ups in the Balmain/Birchgrove area so the successful applicant will need his/her own car as well as a clean driver’s license. (Car provided)

As well as a kind and generous nature, excellent English is essential as you will be helping out Year 3 child with spelling and other homework.

Other duties include preparing kids’ dinner, making school lunches, walking out dog as well as light housework such as folding washing.

Would suit a university student or an au pair who has some free hours.

Minimum 6 month commitment.

Must have Working with Children check and First Aid certificate.

Phone of text [blacked out number]. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Don’t want much for $25/hr do you?

According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, employees working as au pairs and nannies are not covered by an award and are entitled to the national minimum wage of $22.86 and hour for casual workers. Nannies and au pairs working in private homes are seen as an employee or not depending on the individual relationship.

The University of Technology Sydney conducted a first-of-its-kind survey last year to gather information on the hours of work, pay rates and duties of au pairs in Australia who are often young foreign backpackers. Dr Laurie Berg said at the time that, “We know very little about au pairs in Australia.”

Do you think this list of duties is fair for the amount of pay the advertisers are offering?